OMG.. I need to start dieting!!

Are you trying to figure out a dieting plan in order to lose some weight? If yes, then you are wrong. Dieting may help you in losing weight over a short period of time, however; it involves starving, and that may lead to a serious health condition. There is a huge perception amongst the people that dieting and starving yourself will help in losing the fat belly that you have had for years. The fact of the matter is, a healthy eating lifestyle will help you in losing that fat belly, although over a longer time period, but forever. Before you starve yourself, you need to keep in mind that dieting will lead you in losing the vital nutrients of the body that may lead towards cancer or diabetes. Some of the diet plans, recommended by some of the “nutritionists” may involve in complete elimination of carbs, protein and fat from your daily food, whereas, in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle you need all these food types in balance. Personally, in my opinion diets are not only unhealthy but also boring. When you are jumping on the dieting plan, just ask yourself that for how long you can have a bowl of soup or a glass of juice? Not for long I guess, however; eating healthy is always fun and it helps you to stay in a great shape, not by only helping you to reduce weight, but also giving your body the required nutrients and calories. Not only this, but apart from that, you will not have to worry about counting the calories whenever you go to the supermarket for your food shopping. Now, looking at some of the benefits that you will gain from a healthy eating plan is numerous as compared to what a dieting plan will give you. Although it will take you a little extra time in losing the extra weight but the fact of the matter is that with a diet plan you will gain that extra weight again as soon as you give up on the dieting program whereas, if you are on a healthy diet, you will manage to lose weight permanently. Healthy diet plan, as opposed to a diet, gives you a complete plan towards weight loss that means you have to implement healthy lifestyle changes in order to guarantee success whereas, dieting is only concerned with what you eat and drink. A healthy nutrition plan will always encourage you to educate you about what you should eat rather than just telling you what to eat.. You can always make healthy eating choices and educate yourself about your eating needs for permanent results. 

"Fitness and Nutrition Center: Diet vs. Healthy Eating Plan: 5 Big Differences." Fitness and Nutrition Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 June 2011. <http://rxsportz.blogspot.com/2011/06/diet-vs-healthy-eating-plan-5-big.html>.

"Healthy Eating Vs Dieting For Maximum Fat Loss Results" Articles Fiesta. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 June 2011. <http://articlesfiesta.com/healthy-eating-vs-dieting-for-maximum-fat-loss-results-2>.

Ugly Barbie?

The above screenshots are from a website that sells dolls named barbies with stylish clothes and an enhanced image that is idolized by most little girls. Looking at the screenshots , we automatically find her attractive and beautiful. Dressed up in finest clothes and always looking so together and pretty, but at the same time, promotes an image which is not pretty at all. Heavy breasts with larger hipsize and extra skinny waist, in other words "an hour glass figure" might look pretty in this dolls but infact is ugly from a health point of view. In a recent study by a group of Developmental Psychologist of the University of West England, it was found out that the Barbie Dolls have affected the life of nearly 200 elementary aged girls, to be more specific the age group of five to eight. Since every girls want to be as “pretty” as Barbie, what they don’t know is that “pretty” is the last word that will come to mind once they have reached the stage of being the Barbie. A lot of girls will go through a lot of tortures including the usage of Botox, Restylane and face lifts; a phenomenon known as the Body Dysmorphic Disorder. When girls look at the signature tiny waist of Barbie, they obsess about their body figures and they start to develop anorexia. Such people will go through all the possible procedures including plastic surgery but even then they won’t feel better about themselves.  Dr Margaret Ashwell, former director of the British Nutrition Foundation, stated that “Children can be influenced at an early age and we need to be aware of that and take appropriate steps”. We must not forget about the fact that severely malnourished people can not only develop cognitive impairment but also anorexia, which is hard to come back from if proper actions are not taken in the very beginning. Anorexia, as we all know, is an eating disorder in which one refuses to maintain a healthy body weight due to the concern of the one’s body shape. Now when girls look at the Barbie dolls and their “Spaghetti like thin bodies”, they start to feel insecure about their own body shape, hence putting  themselves into practices of malnutrition.

 Without caring for the medical aspects and feeling insecure about their body shape and weight, they develop a habit of not eating a proper diet just to look “thin” like the Barbie dolls, it consequently leads them to anorexia.  Barbie is, without a doubt, one of the most famous toys in the world today but the question that still remains is: is it setting our little girls up for issues? We all, especially girls, need to remember that even if we are not as skinny as the Barbie, they are still beautiful.
Realistically none of the girls would actually want barbie like figure proportions. If she were a real human, she'd be 7'2" tall with a figure measurements of 39-23-33. Think about your quest of becoming barbie, give it a second thought for if it's really worth it!

Life-Sized Barbie’s Bizarre Body: Eating Disorder Awareness Week Read More at FYI Living: Http://fyiliving.com/health-news/life-size-barbies-bizarre-body-eating-disorder-awareness-week/#ixzz1P8b80Vte." FYI Living. 20 Apr. 2011. Web. 12 June 2011. <http://fyiliving.com/mental-health/life-size-barbies-bizarre-body-eating-disorder-awareness-week/>.

Knipper, Cathy. "Eating Disorders Real Life Story – Teen Creates ‘Real Barbie’ to Fight Eating Disorders." Social Workers. Web. 12 June 2011. <http://www.helpstartshere.org/mind-and-spirit/eating-disorders/eating-disorders-real-life-story-teen-creates-real-barbie-to-fight-eating-disorders.html>.